Posted!

Join the Conversation

Comments

Welcome to our new and improved comments, which are for subscribers only.
This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you.
You do not need a Facebook profile to participate.

You will need to register before adding a comment.
Typed comments will be lost if you are not logged in.

Please be polite.
It's OK to disagree with someone's ideas, but personal attacks, insults, threats, hate speech, advocating violence and other violations can result in a ban.
If you see comments in violation of our community guidelines, please report them.

FLEMINGTON - A Flemington man is facing five years in state prison after he pleaded guilty Wednesday on child pornography charges, including asking a 16-year-old autistic girl to send him sexually explicit pictures of herself.

Thomas A. Pirretti, 34, who pleaded guilty before Superior Court Judge Angela F. Borkowski, will also be required to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law and will be subject to parole supervision for life. Sentencing for Pirretti is scheduled for Feb. 2.

The investigation revealed that Pirretti met the autistic victim, a 16-year-old California resident, on the Nintendo Network in October 2014.

After obtaining her phone number, Pirretti called the girl repeatedly and asked her to send him sexually explicit photos of herself. He also asked her to send photos of herself engaging in sexual activity with her younger female cousin.

He told the victim that he would be her boyfriend if she complied with his demands.

In response to his demands, the victim sent Pirretti at least 10 nude images of herself.

When the victim’s mother learned about the conduct, she alerted local police, who traced the calls to New Jersey and notified the Division of Criminal Justice.

A month later, in November 2014, Pirretti solicited an 11-year-old Colorado girl to send him naked photos of herself.

Like the previous case, Piretti met the victim on the Nintendo Network and obtained her phone number. He then called her repeatedly and asked her to send him nude photos of herself.

But that victim did not send any photos. When the victim’s father learned about the phone calls, he alerted local police, who entered the case into the cybertip database of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The phone number of the caller was again traced to Pirretti.

At the time of those incidents, Pirretti already was facing charges of possession and distribution of child pornography stemming from his July 22, 2014 arrest in “Operation Predator Alert,” a joint operation by the Division of Criminal Justice and ICE Homeland Security Investigations.

A total of 28 individuals were arrested in Operation Predator Alert, in two separate sweeps, for allegedly using a file-sharing network to download and distribute child pornography, including child rape videos, on the Internet.

That investigation found that, between October 2013 and June 2014, Pirretti possessed approximately 1,005 items of child pornography and distributed approximately 750 items of child pornography via email.

He also engaged in an online chat with another defendant in Operation Predator Alert in which they discussed their desire for prepubescent girls. Pirretti asked if he could pay for sexual activity with the other defendant’s 10-year-old daughter.

“Pirretti is yet another case in point illustrating that those who share child pornography online often move on to hands-on conduct against children,” said Attorney General Christopher Porrino. “Even after being arrested for child pornography, Pirretti was out on the internet, stalking young girls and deceiving a very vulnerable victim into sending him sexually explicit photos of herself. This guilty plea will remove him from our communities to a place where he can no longer harm children.”

Piretti pleaded guilty to to manufacturing child pornography, distribution of child pornography, possession of child pornography and two counts of debauching the morals of a child.

Anyone who suspects improper contact by persons communicating with children on the internet or possible exploitation or sexual abuse of children to contact the New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Tipline at 888-648-6007.